Record-resurfacing machine



Sept. 3 1929; T, F, HERU Y 1,726,894

RECORD RESURFACING MACHINE Filed June 4,- 192 7 2 Sheets-Sheet lINVENTOR. THOMAS F HERLIHY RNEY.

P 1929' T. F. HERLIHY 1,726,894

RECORD RESURFACING MACHINE Filed June 4, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lINVENTOK THOMAS E YHEHLIHY BYKQ Patented Sept. 3, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS E. HERLIHY, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO DICTAPHONECOR PORATION, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

RECORD-RESURFACING MACHINE.

Application filed June 4, 1927. Serial No. 196,490.

This invention relates to record-resurfacing machines, and moreparticularly to a looking mechanism for the mandrel supporting end-gateof such machines.

An object of this invention is to provide an end-gate locking mechanismwhich will automatically lock incidental to the move ment of theend-gate to the mandrel supporting position.

Another object of this invention is to provide an end-gate lockinmechanism, the re lease of which can be effected by movement of theend-gate out of the mandrel supporting position.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a self-actingend-gate locking mechanism which will yieldingly support the mandrel andwill be self-compensating for wear.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate one form of the invention,that at present preferred Figure 1 is a perspective view of arecordresurfacing machine showing the end-gate 25 and the locking meanstherefor provided by the present invention in mandrel supportingposition.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view of the end-gate and end-gate lockingmechanism in closed or 30 mandrel supporting position.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, the endgate and end-gate lockingmechanism being shown in the act of moving to the open position.

The kind of record-resurfacing machine selected for the purpose ofillustrating this invention comprises a base provided with a left-handstandard 11, a middle standard 12 and a right-hand standard 13.Supported 40 between the standards 11 and 13 is a guide rod 14 forsupporting a carriage 15 whose forward end is provided with a shoe 16adapted to ride on a rail 17 forming part of the frame 10.

The carriage 15 supports a record-cutter 18, movement of which with thecarriage 15 over a record 19 for the purpose of resurfacing a record 19is accomplished by the rotating feed-screw 20 in engagement with a 50feed-nut 2O mounted on the carriage 15. Ho

tation of the mandrel shaft 21 is accomplished by a motor or othersuitable means (not shown) dr ving a pulley 22. Interconnected rotationof the feed-screw 20 with the mandrel shaft 21 is accomplished by a belt29.

l The record blank 19 is supported for rotation on a mandrel 9 having ashaft 21 and a driving pulley 22. One end of the mandrel shaft- 21 issupported by a conical center in the left-hand standard 11, while theother end is supported during rotation of the mandrel by a conicalcenter 25 in an end-gate 26 which is pivotally mounted on a stud 2'? onthe standard 13 so that the end-gate may be opened to give access to themandrel when placing a record 19 on the mandrel 9 or re moving onetherefrom.

fVVhen the endgate 26 is open, as shown in F 1g. 3, the mandrel shaft 21is retained in proper position by the cooperation of the conical center23 in the standard 11 and by the retaining standard 12. However, whenthe end-gate 26 is moved to the mandrel supporting position as shown inFig. 2, the conical center 25 in the end-gate 26 lifts the mandrel shaft21 out of contact with the middle standard 12 which only loosely fitsthe shaft 21 and true rotation is then possible solely on the conicalcenters 23 and 25.

The above described structures and mechanisms are common torecord-resurfacing machines heretofore manufactured and used, and formpart of the present invention only in so far as they are related to orcombined with the mechanism hereinafter described.

The present invention provides an improved locking mechanism for holdingthe mandrel end-gate 26 in mandrel supporting position and has theadvantage of being selfacting and requiring no attention on the part ofthe operator, for the functions are naturally and subconsciouslyperformed. This is an extremely advantageous feature, since it replacesthe locking mechanism heretofore provided which had to be separately andmanually operated, and hence required a mental effort on the part of theoperator.

These advantages are obtained, according to the present invention, byproviding a self acting latch 30 mounted directly on the endgate 26adjacent the handle 26 thereon and in position to engage a fixed keeper31 or other cooperating latch member in the carriage guide rail 17 whenthe gate is closed.

As illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the latch 30 is mounted ina slot 32 in the handle 26 so as to be partially housed thereby and isadapted to pivot on a vertical pin 33. The latch 30 is normally urgedtoward its gate-locking position by a spring 34 mounted in the handle 26and bearing against part of the latch confined in the slot 32. Forwardmovement of the latch 30, when the end-gate 26 is not in lockingposition, is limited by a tongue 35 on the latch engaging a portion 36of the end-gate 26, as shown in Fig. 3.

The fixed keeper 31 with which the latch 30 cooperates, is prefereablyremovably mounted in the rail 17 and hence may be easily replaced incase of wear, and is provided with two cam surfaces 37 and 38, thepurpose of which will hereinafter be described.

The function of the end-gate 26 is mainly to support the mandrel 23 forrotation to resurface the record 19. It is adapted to be swung on thestud 27 suiliciently in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3to permit easy placement on and removal from the mandrel 9 of the record19. When the record 19 is placed on the mandrel 9, the end-gate 26 isreturned to mandrel-supporting position shown in Fig. 2, in whichposition the end-gate 26 abuts an end 28 of the rail 17, an aligning pin50 on the gate entering an aperture 51 in the end 28 of the rail 17.

To close the lock the end-gate 26 in mandrel supporting position, theoperator, according to the present invention, must merely push againstthe handle 26 so as to to cause it to move to the left as seen in Fig.3.

As the end-gate 26 is moved toward the mandrel supporting position bythe operators fingers, as indicated in Fig. 2, the yielding latch 3Ocomes in contact with the fixed keeper 31. So that the latch will beselfacting, it has a cam surface 40 positioned to engage and ride over acam surface 37 on the keeper 31. Thus, the latch 30 yields arouately onthe pin 33 against the pressure of the spring 34 until the point 41 onthe latch rides over the point 42 on the keeper. [is soon as thesepoints pass, the latch 30 is forced to move clockwise, as seen in Fig.2, under pressure of the spring 34 to engage the keeper beyond the point42.

So that the end-gate 26 will always be held tightly in closed positionwith the gate close to the end 28 of the rail 17, even if the parts ofthe latch should become worn and to compensate for slight variations inthe manufacture of the parts, the locking faces 38 and 43 of the latch30 and keeper 31 respectively are not made plain, as is usual, but aremade in the form of cams which are so inclined relatively that rotationof the latch 30 under the influence of the spring 34 causes the latchand its connected end-gate 26 to be drawn to the left as seen in Fig. 2.Since the end-gate is resiliently held in closed position, it will beseen that the conical center 25 will be yieldingly urged against themandrel shaft end 24, thus accomplishing the double purpose ofcompensating for wear and eceentricities of the conical centers.

Upon completion of resurfacing the record 19, release of the end-gatelocking mechanism, according to the present invention, can be easilyaccomplished incidental to the action of moving the end-gate 26 to theopen position. As shown in Fig. 3, when the thumb or other finger ispressed against the finger-pad 44 of the yielding latch 30 when theend-gate 26 is in the mandrel supporting position shown in Fig. 2, thelatch is swung out of locking position allowing the point 41 to rideover the keeper point 42. The further movement of the finger against thefinger-pad 44 will quickly move the end-gate 26 to the open position.

As can be seen from the foregoing, the present invention provides asimple and efficient end-gate locking mechanism which is selfactingincident to the manual movement of the mandrel supporting end-gate 26.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scopenf thisinvention and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having now described the invention, what is claimed as new and for whichit is desired to obtain Letters Patent, is

1. In a record-resurfacing machine, the combination of a rotatablerecord mandrel; a movable end-gate to support the mandrel at one end forrotation; self-acting locking means for holding the end-gate inmandrelsupporting position, said locking means comprising twocooperating members; a spring acting to force said members together; oneof said members having an oblique surface whereby said members may slideone upon the other and come to rest in holding position while the springis still under compression, permitting said spring to urge said membersinto further holding positions to take up progressive wear of the parts.

2. In a record resurfacing machine, the combination of a rotatablerecord mandrel; a movable end-gate to support the mandrel at one end forrotation; a self-acting locking means for holding the end-gate inmandrelsupporting position, said locking means comprising a fixedkeeper, a yielding latch and a latch spring, the latch being providedwith an angularly disposed portion positioned for manual operation tomove the latch away from the keeper in 'a path substantially at rightangles to the initial opening movement of the end-gate.

Signed at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield, and State ofConnecticut, this 1st day of June, 1927.

THOMAS F. HERLIHY.

